The short answer
Paylocity is a payroll, HR, time, benefits and finance suite for small businesses to enterprises, sold by quote with nonrefundable implementation fees. Gusto is payroll, benefits and HR for small businesses, from $49 a month plus $6 per person, month to month and with no setup fee.
LeadChange Score: editorial assessment based on public information.
Paylocity wins 2Gusto wins 12 ties
| Dimension | Paylocity | Gusto |
|---|---|---|
| PricingGusto lists Simple at $49 a month plus $6 per person, with no setup fee. Paylocity quotes a base fee plus per-employee fees and charges implementation fees, W-2 preparation and time clocks separately. None | Quote only | $49/mo + $6/employee/mo |
| CapabilitiesBoth run payroll with tax filing and cover HR, time and benefits. Paylocity adds talent management, global payroll, expense management and corporate cards; Gusto adds contractor payments and money management in the same plans. Payroll, Global Payroll, Human Resources, Time & Labor, Talent Management, Benefits, Employee Experience, Expense Management, Corporate Cards, AP Automation, Guided Procurement, Headcount Planning, Asset Management, Access Management & Identity | 11 of 12 core capabilities | 11 of 12 core capabilities |
| IntegrationsPaylocity lists 435 integrations, with an OAuth2 API and webhooks. Gusto lists 153, with a REST API and webhooks. 435 | 435 native | 153 native |
| Fit and supportPaylocity serves small businesses to enterprises, with support Monday to Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Central Time. Gusto serves small businesses, with support Monday to Friday, 6am to 6pm MST. Small businesses, mid-market companies, enterprises | Small businesses, mid-market companies, enterprises | Small businesses |
| SecurityPaylocity states SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001. Gusto states HIPAA compliance. Yes | SOC 2, ISO 27001 | None verified |
| Attribute | Paylocity | Gusto |
|---|---|---|
| Price transparency | Quote only | Published |
| Contract term | Custom | Monthly |
| Best for | Small businesses, mid-market companies, enterprises | Small businesses |
| Mobile apps | iOS, Android, Apple Watch | iOS (Gusto Mobile), Android (Gusto Mobile) |
| Native integrations | 435 | 153 |
| Support channels | Phone, Email, PEAK Knowledge Base (in-product) | Phone, email, chat, online help center, dedicated account partner (Premium) |
| Founded | 1997 | 2012 |
| Headquarters | Schaumburg, Illinois, US | San Francisco, California, US |
| Ownership | Publicly traded | Private |
| Attribute | Paylocity | Gusto |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Base fee + per employee | Base fee + per employee |
| Deployment | Cloud | Cloud |
| Open API | ||
| Webhooks | ||
| Single sign-on | SAML (SP- and IdP-initiated) | |
| Automatic tax filing |
Pricing. Gusto lists Simple at $49 a month plus $6 per person, with no setup fee. Paylocity quotes a base fee plus per-employee fees and charges implementation fees, W-2 preparation and time clocks separately.
Capabilities. Both run payroll with tax filing and cover HR, time and benefits. Paylocity adds talent management, global payroll, expense management and corporate cards; Gusto adds contractor payments and money management in the same plans.
Integrations. Paylocity lists 435 integrations, with an OAuth2 API and webhooks. Gusto lists 153, with a REST API and webhooks.
Fit and support. Paylocity serves small businesses to enterprises, with support Monday to Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Central Time. Gusto serves small businesses, with support Monday to Friday, 6am to 6pm MST.
Security. Paylocity states SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001. Gusto states HIPAA compliance.
Patriot Payroll has the highest LeadChange Score in Payroll Software after excluding these two (9.3/10).
From $17/mo + $4/employee/mo
Paylocity is less suited to buyers who want a price before a demo: it publishes no prices or plans, and its implementation fees are nonrefundable. W-2 preparation, time clocks and each extra module add to the recurring fee. Gusto lists its three plans and charges no setup fee.
Paylocity does not publish a monthly price: per its 10-K, it charges a base fee plus per-employee fees that depend on headcount and the products used. Gusto publishes three plans: $49 plus $6, $80 plus $12 and $180 plus $22 per person a month.
Paylocity serves companies from small businesses to enterprises and adds talent management, global payroll and finance tools as needs grow. Gusto is built for small businesses; its Premium plan adds HR guidance, compliance tools and premium account support.
Paylocity’s On Demand Payment lets employees draw earned wages, with same-day funds for requests made by 2 PM CT. Gusto includes next-day pay on Plus and Premium, and same-day and instant pay on Premium.
Paylocity explains payroll variances in plain language before you submit, and its Ignite AI agents cover pay, time and recruiting. Gusto runs Payroll on AutoPilot and syncs time tracking to payroll.
Paylocity has iOS, Android and Apple Watch apps, with location-based clock-in. Gusto Mobile runs on iOS and Android.
Paylocity lists 435 integrations and Gusto lists 153.
Only Paylocity states SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001. Only Gusto states HIPAA (BAA).
Your team size, what matters most and your role: see which one fits more of your answers, from verified facts and list prices. Then, if you like, ask to hear from both.
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What the LeadChange Score means
A 0–10 editorial assessment built only from verified facts, across six weighted dimensions: capabilities, pricing, integrations, security, fit and support, and data confidence.
Payments, commissions and lead fees are never inputs.
